Our Walk, Our Witness
by Rhonda Henegar
This introvert wanted to say “no” to the request to write an article on strong witness but God, being God, once again pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me an opportunity to reevaluate my own witness.
WITNESS: evidence or proof. Open profession of one’s religious faith through words or actions.
Verbally witnessing to others is not my strong suit and I’m sure my fellow introverts can attest to the same. I believe that we are without excuse. My husband is an extrovert and can and will witness to anyone at any time. That’s not my personality, so I have to be very careful with my actions and reactions as I present my life as my witness.
Whether we realize it or not, we who have claimed Jesus as our Lord and Savior are put under a microscope. We are being carefully watched. Those of us who work or have worked outside the home can attest to this. While working as a Legal Assistant I shared a cubicle with a young woman who was prone to gossip. I found that easy to slip into so I typed a file folder label with “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” and affixed that to my desk phone (the verse is Ephesians 4:29).
One day I was on the phone with an irate client, and I admit I was a little impatient with him. One of the attorneys walked by, said “Rhonda,” and pointed to my phone. We were a smaller law firm. At some point when being paged, everyone else in the office had probably picked up my phone to answer a call while I was away from my desk – and read that verse. Talk about an aha moment. I was being held accountable.
I have family members who haven’t come to a relationship with Christ. I’m sure that’s the norm for most of us. Honestly, they are probably watching us the closest. Therefore, I must check myself at the door! Our families have seen us at our worst and at our best. They’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I pray that they would see a difference in me, that my ongoing growth would override the mistakes I had made in the past. I would hope that my family members can affirm Philemon v. 7 concerning me. This states “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” Even those who haven’t accepted Christ as their Savior are still God’s people. They need encouragement and love. I admit that I fail at this. The truth is that I want to be the reason people give God a try, not one that turns them away.
Our friends and acquaintances are watching us also. I think it’s human nature to have a watch and see attitude. Therefore, our lives have got to be a good witness for our Lord.
I recently served on an REC team at Jennings County Jail (“Residents Encounter Christ”). This was a three-day retreat where you go into the jail and minister to the ladies and reach them with the love of Christ. We had been warned at training that you couldn’t fool these ladies. I was nervous and anxious, and my face and body language would surely give me away. I prayed that God would cover me in with His presence so I could be an authentic witness for Him. He did. I’ve never been in a room with so many broken people. At the end of the three days, I had the privilege of taking the confession of faith from the three ladies at my table and immersing them in the saving grace of Christ, not by anything I did but by the power of Christ in me.
There’s so much brokenness all around us: in our families, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces and in our schools. God has given us the task of being a light in the darkness. Luke 11:33 reminds us “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see it.” It’s a daunting task, isn’t it? We’re always “on.” The only way to attain this is to be clothe ourselves with Christ daily. We have a decision to make before we put our feet on the floor in the morning. Am I going to be more Christlike today? Am I going to be a good witness for the Lord? Am I going to be a light that shines in the darkness?
That being said, I pray that my walk is my witness. So, I ask myself again, am I walking this life I profess out daily? Do my words and actions reflect Christ? Am I willing to go the extra mile for others? Do I remain pleasant and let my words be few when things don’t go my way? If I were in a crowd and someone was watching me, would they see something different in me?
I am aware that my walk can either make or break my witness. Let me repeat that. It’s my walk that can make or break my witness.
Bottom line: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
Whether we like it or not, we are someone’s only Bible. Let’s practice walking humbly with our God. I can’t help but think that the outcome of our witness will be pleasing to Him if we do.
